Will you still love me in the morning?
by Nashy2314
Summary: This is a short story about how Mac and Stella has been suffering because of the distance after a night of drinks but at the end what is meant to be finds a way to come back.


~~~~~~Four years ago~~~~~~~~

_Mac woke up in the morning after a night of drinks, the last thing he remembered was he was there in the bar having a beer with the team but then everything was dark. He groaned as he opened his eyes and felt the hangover kicking in, he felt his head was going to explode any moment, he tried to get up but stopped stunned as he felt a body laying on the bed besides him. He lived alone and doesn't remember taking anyone home so he panicked at first and his first thought was to grab his gun and kick out whoever was besides him but his eyes went wide open when he saw some curly hair on the pillow then slowly lifted up the sheets to see who was there. Seeing who it was, he jumped out of the bed and quickly got dressed again then cursed under his breath as the woman on the bed woke up and looked over at him. "Mac? Are you okay?" A familiar voice came from the other side of the room and Mac turned to look over at her. "What did we do, Stella?" He asked so soft, it sounded almost like a whisper. Stella blushed as she remembered the night of passion they had, how they confessed their love to one another, how good it felt when they made love for the first time. She bit her lip then shook her head lightly. "You don't remember?" She replied with a question and Mac just shook his head then took a deep breath. "I got to go." He simply said and left. The next day Stella left to New Orleans, she couldn't dare to look at him after what happened because she remember every moment of it, how he loved her but she felt as if she took advantage of his drunkenness._

The New York City's Crime Lab was filled with the laughing of a happy team, celebrating the news about the new addition of the Messer's family but somewhere else was their boss breaking down. The sky was dark, that night the stars weren't shinning, the moon wasn't full and the most famous detective of the city, Mac Taylor, was feeling empty. Since he got shot his memory wasn't working correctly, the Anemic Aphasia made him frustrated, no one knew about it but Christine and just because she forced him to tell her. She was there for him during the six months it took him to recover, he cared about her, she had a special place in his heart but he felt like something wasn't right, something was missing, he wasn't complete but he didn't know what that could be. At first he blamed the emptiness on Claire, he thought he was betraying her because he was with Christine but then he knew that wasn't the reason, there was something else.

Drops of sweat rolled down his forehead, his body was shaking, his head turning to the sides, his eyes fighting to get open, his legs kicking the sheets aside and then he jumped, getting sat on the bed, panting heavily, looking around and wiping his forehead. The same nightmare of every night, a dream that he couldn't explain. He just saw the love of his life running away from him, leaving him there, alone, heartbroken, without a soul but he knew that woman wasn't Christine and he couldn't identify her. He got up and made his way to the bathroom then washed his face and glanced at his self for a while in the mirror. "Who is she? Why can't I remember her name?" He asked and shook his head then went back to the bedroom and packed up some clothes, he needed some vacations, he called Sinclair and the team to tell them he would be gone and then left, casually, he flied to New Orleans.

Back in New Orleans Stella was standing in the balcony of her small apartment, glancing up at the sky that was bright blue like Mac's eyes, it has been four years since she left and lost the communication with her friends but she was still suffering like if it was the first day. She could barely sleep in the nights because she would start thinking, remembering and cry all over again. She was deeply in love with Mac but the way he left the room after they made love broke her heart and she couldn't take it, she couldn't see him again or else she wouldn't be able to take him out of her heart so she accepted the offer and left New York without telling him anything. Now she wondered if it was the right decision, if he would be suffering like she is, if he missed her as much as she misses him. She ran her fingers through her curly hair and sighed deeply as she glanced over at the clock and noticed it was time to go to work so she went to get ready then left the apartment to stop for coffee before going to work.

Mac slept during the trip so when he arrived, he went to the hotel just to leave his suitcase and go out again, he needed some fresh air, maybe meet new people while exploring the city but he didn't really cared about that, his mind was travelling back to the mysterious curly-haired woman. He shook his head and decided to go for a walk. He walked towards a coffee shop and headed inside but he was lost in thoughts so he didn't notice the woman that was coming out and accidentally walked onto her. The woman cursed in Greek as he dropped her cup and she leaned over to clean it in the exact moment Mac went to help her but stopped on his tracks when she pulled her hair behind, looking up at him and green eyes met blue ones.

"Mac? What are you doing here?" She asked after a moment of shock. Mac bit his lip, the woman of his dreams was standing right in front of him, calling his name and talking to him but he couldn't remember her name, he didn't know what to do. "I… um… needed vacations?" He said totally unsure of his own self. "Mac Taylor taking vacations? It was almost time." She said with a joking tone and a soft laugh. She was totally nervous about seeing him again, wondering what he was doing there but reminded strong as she always did to confront a difficult situation. Mac smiled softly and nodded, he hesitated a moment, she knew him and he knew her but with his mental condition he just couldn't remember. He reached over and gently touched her cheek to make sure she was real and not a hallucination from the lack of sleep. Stella quietly watched him but couldn't resist leaning into his touch then pulled back. "This is wrong… you said it. I should go work." She lowered her gaze and then walked outside. Mac mentally kicked himself and then went after her.

Stella tried to go away but Mac was quicker and stopped her. "Don't run away again… please" He almost begged as he lifted her chin to make her look at him again. "I don't know your name, I don't know what our story is but I know one thing and that is I can't take you out of my mind. I've dreamed with you every night for the last four years and now that I found you, I can't let you go again." Stella was totally lost and confused as she heard him, how it could be possible he didn't remember her name? She didn't know about his condition so it hurt her to see he forgot her but the way he talked, sounding so honest, she couldn't just leave like that again. Now it was her who reached over and caressed his face. "How it could be possible you forgot me? I understand if you wanted to forget the night we spent together…" She swallowed "You were drunk but now?"

Mac leaned into her touch and let out a soft sigh as he explained to her about the shot and the Aphasia which was the reason of why he couldn't remember her, after she left no one mentioned her again so slowly he forgot about her. Hearing him, Stella could feel the tears that were rolling down her cheeks; she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry I left you like that, I would have come back if I knew but I was so afraid you would reject me…" She whispered against his shoulder and then Mac tightened his grip around her. "I'm sorry I ran away from you if I did." Stella nodded and stubbornly wiped her tears away then pulled back to look at him, she watched him a moment before leaning forward and kissed him gently. Mac didn't hesitate this moment; he kept his arms around her as he returned the kiss then rested his forehead against hers. "Come back home…" He whispered to her and she closed her eyes. "I am home right now." She smiled at him and caressed his jaw line then pulled back, grabbed his hand and went back to her apartment with him.

"We will take it slow this time, I don't want to scare you away and I know you will need the time, I will help you remember and we will go through his together, you're not alone anymore." Stella said and smiled at him, the smile that always melted his heart. "Thank you" He nodded and hugged her again, she returned the hug then kissed his cheek. "I can tell you haven't been sleeping well so come with me, you need a nap." She said as she led him to the bedroom, he knew better than to argue with her so he went with her willingly. She helped him get comfy then both of them got in bed after he asked her to stay with him. She sat down and he laid his head on her lap as she played with his hair. "Will you still love me in the morning?" He asked quietly and she smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. "For the rest of my life" He smiled happily before falling into a deep sleep.

**THE END**


End file.
